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The Big Bag Trail, a unique collaboration between Callaway and St Andrews Links, has raised £126,000 for charity following the auction of the sculptures.

If you’ve been in St Andrews over the last month, you probably would have noticed the 10 larger than life sculptures dotted around the town that made up the Big Bag Trai l.

While the bags were enjoyed by those attending the Open Championship, as well as residents of St Andrews, they were eventually put to auction for the benefit of CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) and Scottish Sports Futures (Changing Lives Through Sport).

Following the conclusion of the Open, all 10 sculptures were taken from around the town, back to the St Andrews Links clubhouse. Here, they were auctioned off, with a total of £126,000 raised.

It was the design of 17-year-old Iona Turner that raised the largest sum, with the sculpture eventually selling for £30,000. That should come as no surprise, as it was her design that the Callaway players sported on their bags throughout the week.

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Neil Howie, President and Managing Director, Callaway EMEA, said:

“This has been a truly unique and wonderful project. Seeing the designs created by the young artists for the first time gave us a real sense that we were on the road to something special.

“But to see them come to life as these 10 beautiful sculptures, not forgetting Iona’s winning design that was made into the official bag used by our Staff Professionals during the 150th Open, has been an unforgettable experience.

“We’re delighted to have raised so much money for two such worthy causes, while also promoting the incredible community spirit that surrounds the Home of Golf.”

Kirsty McNab, CEO of Scottish Sports Futures said: “We’re delighted to have been involved in such an exciting and innovative project as the Big Bag Trail and would like to thank Callaway, St Andrews Links Trust and everyone else involved for raising an incredible amount of money that will make a real difference in people’s lives through the power of sport.”

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Rami Okasha, CEO of CHAS, said: “When we first heard about the Big Bag Trail project we knew it was something unique and something that would capture the imagination of the public around The Open. We’re hugely grateful to Callaway and St Andrews Links Trust for their support in raising a significant amount of money which will greatly contribute to the work we do with children and families across Scotland ensuring no family faces the death of their child alone.”

Neil Coulson, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the public’s response to The Big Bag Trail, both in person from those who attended The Open, and online from those who couldn’t be with us last week.

“It was a remarkable build up to The 150th Open, a phenomenal event both on and off the course, and now to have raised so much money for these fantastic charities is the icing on the cake.”

topics

St Andrews Links Trust Callaway Big Bag Trail the Old Course St Andrews The Open Callaway

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor